New to PIC Programming

[Keiou]

Can anyone out there help me? I'm new to PIC programming and i would like to know which would be a better approach. Will I do in terms of assembly or PICBasic. Is PICBasic similar to visual basic? And lastly what the difference between PIC BASIC Compiler and the PIC BASIC PRO Compiler? which is better.

[Melanie]

If you have a knowledge of any of the BASIC's, then PICBASIC will allow you to quickly put together programs for the PIC microcontrollers without having to learn Assembler. Naturally, if you are comfortable with Assembler, then you needn't bother spending your money on PICBASIC, however, you will still be able to program PIC's much quicker with PICBASIC than you would with Assembler. If time is money, then PICBASIC is a good investment.

PICBASIC PRO has many useful features not found in the basic offering. You will soon wish you has purchased the PRO. Go to the MeLabs website www.melabs.com and compare the two, then decide for yourself.

[Keiou]

Thank you very much. Just today I bought a book, programming PIC microcontollers with PICBasic. Its a good book but it didnt include the PICBasic. Can you point me where can I download a demo version or something. Thank again.

[Desterline]

There's a demo available on the MELabs website. They also have a link there to an on-line compiler.

http://microengineeringlabs.com/pbpdemo.htm

There are lots of differences between the basic and pro versions, but the ones I found most limiting with the basic version was the 2K code limit and the fixed 4mHz oscilator requirement. (The pro version being limmited only by the device capabilities.)


There are some syntax similarities to VB, and even a few keywords and constructs (if-then, select case, etc) But there are also some huge differences.

PBP does not support "functions" or "subs" in the way that VB does. PBP revives the older BASIC constructs of Gosub/Return and GOTO. Not to mention that all variables are global.


In practice though, I didn't find the transition between VB (VBA in my case) to PBP to be very difficult.

Hope that helps
-Denny

P.S. See Melanie, you don't have to answer them all. 8^)